I Lived For You
by narutogirl17
Summary: Isabella Marie Swan turned eighteen during the year 1864. Her father is killed and she is changed against her will to serve in the Volturi Guard. She escapes and is on the run for fifteen years. Major Jasper Whitlock is sent out to capture her and bring her back. What happens when his prey turns out to be so much more? Find out here!
1. Chapter 1

I shoved the animal carcass away from with a grimace. God, they tasted disgusting! Like dirt. But there was nothin that I could do about that. I refused to feed on innocent people. They could have families. Sons, daughters, sisters, brothers. And I would ruin that for them and their loved ones, plummeting them into sadness and misery just because I was hungry. No, I couldn't do it because I know what it feels like to have someone close to you wrenched away in the span of a heartbeat. As I buried the deer under a huge boulder, my mind drifted back to the fateful night I was turned and the days that followed.

It was a cool autumn night. The cool breeze was blowing, the occasional owl hooting every couple minutes, and the sound of crickets would have you think that everythin was all right. Well, it wasn't. We were in the middle of the Civil War during the year 1864, the year I had turned 18. My brother, Peter and most of the men had gone off to serve and I was very proud of Peter for his bravery. But like all the other women, I couldn't wait to have them home to safety. There was only one man that did not attend the charge against the North but was instead lying on his death bed. My father, the town Sheriff, Charlie Swan. Unfortunately, he had come down with a terrible disease and without the proper knowledge, the only thing that I could do was to try to keep his temperature down.

"Sweetheart?" he rasped.

If we were in a crowded room, I would not have been able to hear him at all. The sickness had spread to his throat making it difficult for him to breathe. I wrung out the hot rag on his forehead and soaked in some cold water before I wrung it out again and placed back across his forehead, relieved to hear a satisfied sigh escape him.

"Yes, daddy? Is there anythin' else you need?"

"Could…you be a dear…and get your old man…(cough)…some nice cool water…from the…(cough)…well for me? I'm more…parched than a …(cough) coyote…cough…in the…desert."

I smiled through the tears that were brimming over, cascading over my cheeks. This was just like him; to laugh and joke to make everyone around him feel better when he was in pain.

"Of course, daddy. Anything. I'll be right back right back with that, okay?" I whispered. More tears fell when I think of how it's going to be when he's gone. He's hand comes up from his side to wipe away my tears. I placed my hand on his, looking at him.

"Don't cry, babygirl…I'll always be…here even when…(cough)… I'm not. In here." He slid his hand down over my heart and again I placed my hands over his. I shook with sobs as I spoke.

"I know, daddy. I know. But I'm going to miss you so much! I don't want you to go!" my head fell to the bed where he lay as the sobs ripped their way through my chest.

"And I will miss you…as well, sweetheart. You have taken…care of this old man…as much as you can, and I am so...(cough)...grateful for that. So…proud to call you my…daughter."

I got up and wiped my tears on the edge of my dress and stood up, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Don't strain yourself, daddy. I know that. It's been ingrained into me since I was little. You made sure to tell me everyday. But I will let you know this. You are the best Dad any girl could ask for. You will always be there in my heart, no matter what." I stopped to take a deep breathe and wipe my stinging eyes from the renewed tears.

"I'm going to go get you that water now. I love you, daddy."

And with that I walked out the door, making sure to close it behind me, and headed towards the well just outside of town. The sun was getting ready to set and it threw colors all across the Texas blue sky. A breeze picked up and I hurried my pace, wrapping my arms around myself. I passed the stable that daddy had built just for my horse, Misty. When I got close enough, she must have sensed me because she put her head out over the door of her stall.

"Hey, girl. How ya doin'?"

She snorted and shook her mane. I took that as 'I'm lonely.'

"I'm sorry, Misty. But as I told you before, Daddy's real sick and someone got to take care of him. It'll only be for a little while and then we can ride all day if you want when he gets better, okay?"

She whinnied and nodded her head. I smiled. Walking over to her, I reached up and rubbed the side of her neck for a moment before she moved away, nudging me away with her nose.

"Alright, alright. I'm going. No need to be pushy. But I'll be right back okay?" I turned to walk backwards as I talked to her. "I'll make sure to bring an apple for you." I blew her a kiss and turned to walk forward. I walked for a while, breathing in the fresh air before I had to go back to the house. Not that I hate taking care of my Dad but I'm inside most of the time and don't get to appreciate nature like I used to do with Misty. But as I walked, I noticed that all the wildflowers that were there before the war started weren't there anymore. Sighing, I shook my head. I couldn't wait for the war to be over and for things to go back to normal again. Once I got to the well, I set the pail down and reached forward to wind the crank on the side that brought up the water bucket from the bottom. Halfway there, I got the overwhelming feeling of being watched but when I turned around, there wasn't anything or anybody there. Shaking it off, I turned my attention back to the task at hand.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

Startled, I jumped and my hand slipped on the crank, sending the bucket back to the bottom with a splash! I whirled around to see that I crowd had gathered around a house in town. I briefly wondered where in the world they could have come from when I recognized the house that they were crowding was mine. My heart sped up as I hitched up my dress and ran full tilt toward the crowd, pail forgotten. All the while, I prayed that my daddy was okay.

_'Please let him be okay! Please, whoever is out there please don't take him away from me so soon! Please, please, please!'_

I didn't slow as I got to my house, running and pushing my way through the people standing in front of my door. My…open door. Why was my door open? I closed it before I left. As I moved to get to the door, somebody grabbed hold of my waist. They started to pull me back but I grabbed on to the door frame, gripping with all my might. It was then I noticed the blood. I struggled to get free but it was no use.

"Hun, you can't go in there! It's dangerous!"

"FUCK YOU! LET ME GO! LET ME GO! DADDY!"

When the person didn't let me go, I did the only thing I knew how to. I elbowed them in the gut, causing them to grunt and release me. I stumbled my way back to the door and stopped.

_'No, no, no, no! Oh, god!'_

There was no sign of my father. He wasn't in the bed where I had left him. There was a dent in the wood on the floor beside a bed and then a drag mark ran from there, into the kitchen. There were nails marks on the floor, and for a moment I was proud of my father. He fought for his life even in his current condition.

"Daddy? Where are you?" I called out as I walked forward into the house, looking around for him.

"Sug, you need to get out of there."

"Leave me alone! You have no fuckin' right to tell me to do anything! I tended to him by my fuckin' self. And without you help, I might add! You knew that he sick, you fuckin' knew! And yet you cowered like the fuckin' dogs that you are instead of helping someone in need! So don't you fuckin' dare give me shit about whether or not I should leave or stay when my father is in trouble! Just get the fuck away from my house and don't fuckin' come back!"

There was a shocked silence as they shuffled from the doorway and left. I turned my attention back to looking for my father. They had some fuckin' nerve comin' in here telling me what to do. I asked them for help before, and what did they say to me?

"Sorry, Bella. But I can't help you."

"It's too dangerous, Bella."

"Don't you know how to cure the weak and sickly yourself?"

My father saved their lives so many times, I've lost count. I couldn't believe that they would actually deny me the help that I so desperately needed. They wouldn't say no if Peter was here though. Trust me when I say Peter had a way with words. I froze in my tracks as I heard a rustle come from around the corner from the kitchen.

"Daddy?"

A squeak came from my left and I yelped. A tiny mouse ran out from underneath the broom and scamper outside through the open door. I sighed and continued my search only to come face to face with a face. A hand came out of nowhere and grabbed my throat, squeezing my windpipe. After few seconds, it got hard to breathe. I grabbed on to the hand and tried to pry it off. My eyes widened when I felt that the hand was ice cold and stone hard. My eyes snapped up to his and I saw vivid red before something hit me on the side of the head, knocking me out.

When I came to, my vision was flickering in and out. I groaned as my temple began to throb heavily and reached up to rub it. But when I tried to raise my hand, I didn't move. I pulled again and heard a clank! What the hell? Why am I in chains? A light flickered on overhead and my pupils dilated almost painfully before I could squeeze them shut. I opened them slowly, searching my surroundings. I was in the small basement that was underneath our house. I was in the middle of the floor and when I looked around, I found it surprisingly empty. What happened to all our food that we had stored? All the herbs and medicine jars? My mind snapped back to my father. How was I supposed to help him now?

"Ahh! She's is awake!" I heard a voice off to my right and I snapped toward it, my heart leaping into my throat. My eyes scanned the bare room to find nothing. I turned back to the front when a movement to my left caught my attention. I turned my head to see a dark-skinned man leaning against the far wall, watching me. Well, I shouldn't say dark-skinned because there a hint of paleness to his skin. But he looked perfectly healthy, he wasn't coughing or even in pain. His hair was tied back with the ponytail hanging over his right shoulder. His clothes suggested that he wasn't from around here. But what frightened me the most was his eyes. They were the same bright red that I saw before I was knocked out. I gulped which caused him to smile widely, showing off a set of ultra white teeth.

"Looking for someone?" He said, still smiling. If you could call that a smile.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I demanded. I wouldn't let him get to me.

"It's always the same inane questions. Who are you? What do you want? Why are you doing this? But there's no time for questions right now. I want to show you something before I do what I came here to do."

"And what exactly is that?" I asked, trying to stall him.

He smiled again and waved forward someone that I couldn't see. I heard some shuffling and scraping before someone carrying a hunched figure with a potato sack over his head walked in. He didn't look at me but I could tell from the color of his skin that he too was one of these strange beings with red eyes. He dropped the hunched guy at my feet and walked back out. The person in front of me groaned as he tried to get up but was suddenly pressed down by a barefoot. Why wasn't he wearing any shoes? I looked up and shrunk back when I saw he was so close. How did he do that? He leaned forward and brushed his nose along my neck, inhaling noisily.

"You smell divine, sweetheart." He leered at me, drawing back to look at me.

"Leave her…alone." A voice rasped weakly.

I jumped. The voice sounded very familiar. The figure that dropped in front of me tried again to stand up, struggling to his feet. The other man didn't move but watched with a smirk on his face as he, with a final heaping effort, got to his knees. He was panting heavily. He reached up and pulled the sack from his head and my heart leapt in my chest as dread crept into me.

'No, please don't let it be him. He doesn't deserve this!'

The person put his head up and that's when I screamed.

"DADDY!"

His face was swollen with bumps and scars covering every surface of skin that I could see. His hair was matted with dirt and there was a thick line of blood trailing down his right cheek. His clothes were torn and ragged.

"Oh, isn't that sweet? A nice little reunion. Don't worry, Papa. I'm not going to do anything to her…yet."

In the next instant he was yanking the man's head back and I screamed in fear as the he sunk his teeth into my father's neck.

"Nooooo!" I cried as my father' eyes went wide and his mouth open as if to shout out but instead of sound, blood poured from it. The man began to swallow and gradually my father's face began to pale as if his life source were being sucked from him. My eyes flickered to the man's throat latched on to my father's neck to the increasing paleness that was spreading from my father's face to his throat. My mind brought forward the image of the strange beings with red eyes. The same red as human blood.

"Vampire." I whispered. I had heard about these creatures from my crazy uncle before he passed away. He had lost his left arm in what he said was a souvenir from a vampire he had escaped from back in his early years. I always thought that he was bat-shit crazy. I guess he was right. Just as I said it, the man pulled back and licked his lips dropping my father's body to the floor. I started to hyperventilate seeing my father's body on the floor, pale and empty of his blood.

"You got it right. That's good, I didn't expect you to. Saves me the trouble of explaining myself."

"Why are you doing this? What crime have I committed?" I was close to losing it but I kept the tears at bay.

"No crime, my dear. Just selfish greed. See, we need you and a bunch of other humans to help us kill someone who has committed a crime. However, she has too many of what you will soon become and we need to be prepared for it. Doing otherwise would mean certain death. I would have spared your father but that would have been a problem. Because he is your father, you will undeniably have a family bond with him. That means that when we need you to do what you were made to do, you will be focused on him and not the enemy. It's a good thing you weren't husband and wife because then I would have had to kill you too and that would not be good for our plans."

"What will I become? Why does it have to be me?"

"I have the power to see what humans will become after they are turned. And you, dear child, are very special rare human. When you are turned into a newborn, you will be very helpful to our cause. Now, enough questions." There was a sudden breeze and I cried out as my neck was yanked to the side, exposing my neck. I knew what he was about to do but no matter how I struggled, I couldn't move.

"No, no please don't!" I pleaded.

"Welcome to the army." He whispered before his teeth sank into my neck.

I didn't feel anything but the sting of his teeth at first. But then it spread from my neck to my chest where it got hotter. Then to my arms, my legs, my feet and everything in between. I burned for almost two days, a raging inferno taking place in my body. And with my body tensing from the pain, I couldn't move and I refused to scream not wanting to give the bastard any satisfaction that he was hurting me. I felt myself being picked up and then it was like I was on air. After what seemed like days, I was placed on a hard, flat surface and it was there that I burned in the fiery pits of Hades. After four hours, I gradually began to hear different things like birds chirping and a bug that was flying around a light bulb above. I knew what it was because it was giving off a low humming sound. No normal person could have heard that. I also heard snippets of conversations that were going on around me. They spoke of someone with special powers that someone named Maria would kill to have.

"Did you get everyone?"

Yes, sir. I did. But there is something that I feel obliged to tell you." He sounded like someone I was supposed to know but I couldn't place it. It was like looking through murky water as I tried to remember.

"Yes?"

"The one that was brought in last, she is special. Very special."

"How so? Did you see something in her that would benefit us?"

"Yes, I did. She will be very talented if she is able to control whatever it is that she will possess. Maria would kill to have this one on her side." He sounded exited which only made me angrier.

"Well, that is good news, Laurent. Very good news indeed."

I knew that they were talking about me and strangely felt like protecting myself from the threat. But I didn't want to move a muscle, for fear the movement would be the trigger that would send me into a screaming, thrashing fury. After another day the burn began to recede from my arms and legs and moved to my chest, where my heart sped up to an alarmingly fast rate. My back arched off the bed whereas my other limbs remained still. I stayed like that for a few seconds before I slumped back to wherever I was laying and became still.

Th-thump th-thump th-thump...

'My heartbeat was slowing down! Was I going to die now? No, I'm not. I don't feel like I'm dying. I feel strong, more alive than I've felt in a long time. Since...I can't remember when. Why can't I remember?'

Th-thump...

Th-...thump...

Thump...

'It stopped!'

I breathed in, basking in the absence of pain briefly wondering at the feeling of not needing it as it blew down my throat. If it did anything, it fanned the flames that seemed to inhabit my throat. I swallowed reflexively, thinking it would help. It didn't and while I tried to figure out why, I felt a hand on my arm as it pressed against the crook of my elbow. What happened next surprised me. A sound came from my chest and worked its way up to my throat as I prepared to protect myself from this unseen enemy. My legs came over my head while my hands placed themselves in the correct position to do a back flip off the flat surface that had been my pyre. I landed in a corner of what looked like a dimly-lit room and crouched defensively as I growled at whoever dared to try come close to me. But no one moved or tried to attack so I just stood there, still on the defensive.

'What the hell is wrong with me?'  
'Why am I acting this way?'  
'Where the hell did I learn to do a back flip?'

Some part of my brain told me that it was natural to act this way. But why? I closed my eyes and sniffed the air, trying to sniff out the danger. But I kept my other senses open just in case they decided to take advantage of my temporary blindness. Nothing smelled off per-say, but there was a scent in the air that screamed "Danger, danger! Keep away! Stay Back!" and I growled. But then I became frustrated when I scanned the room and found nothing out of place.

There were four people in the room. A small petite girl, a huge hulk of a man, and another man who was thinner than the other one were the ones that I noticed first. They stood in a semi-circle a couple of feet in front of me. Another man caught my attention as he stood with his arm outstretched toward where I guess I was laying before he touched me. Where is the danger coming from? Is it him? Her? All of them? No, it couldn't be. It wasn't in this room, I realize that now. It's as if it's on the edge of something, like it's far away from me but close enough that I could sense it. I growled in frustration.

"Where am I and who the fuck are you?!" I demanded. My eyes widened slightly at the sound of my voice. It sounded like wind chimes; bell-like.

"Well, aren't you the perfect lady?" The man to my right said, as he walked toward me. I growled in warning as I crouched lower. He smirked and came closer and I was about to pounce on him when he stopped suddenly, his face a mask of confusion. He lifted his hand and pressed forward until he came in contact with something solid. I could feel pressure in my head as he frowned and pressed harder.

'It must be me that's doing this.' I realized.

"What is this…thing? Why can't I get to her?" He turned to question the other two. Bad move. I growled and launched myself at him, catching him enough by surprise that I was able to rip his arm off with my teeth. I landed on the far side of the room crouching yet again as I spit his arm out, my nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Arg! You bitch! You'll pay for that!" He crouched, his one arm spread wide and I copied him, smirking. He growled as he launched himself at me but before he got to me, he dropped out the air. As he fell to the ground, I could see his face contorted in obvious pain. Was I doing that? No, I don't think so. I looked up at the group and my eye landed on the petite female. She had a smile on her child-like face as she gazed down at the male. It lasted for a couple more seconds before looked at me, effectively releasing the man from her fiery stare. He began to gasp, taking in unneeded breathes.

"Do you know what you are?" She asked me. I was surprised at the sound of her voice. It was every bit as child-like as she was. When I didn't answer, she smiled at me and milliseconds later, I felt a pricking on my mind. It didn't hurt but it wasn't pleasant either.

"Vampire." I said, angry that she tried to hurt me.

"Good." She cooed. "Do you know what we eat?" she smirked. Before I could answer, I sensed movement to the immediate right of me and I backed into the corner, on the defensive. The door was pushed open as a human stumbled through with another vampire. The vampire pushed him and he skidded into the room on his stomach, groaning in pain. His scent wafted to my nose and I growled, my rational thought leaving me. I just wanted what smelled so good. It was the single most delicious thing I have ever smelled. As I began to walk toward him, the door was pushed open again and a little girl ran in, crying.

"Daddy, please don't leave me! I'll be a good girl! Just don't leave! Stay, daddy! Please!"

The vampire that brought the man in came over and grabbed the girl roughly by the arm, breaking it. The girl cried in pain but seemed to ignore it as she struggled to get to her father, who was getting pummeled by the vampire whose arm I had torn off. Something clicked in me and I tensed as images and scenes flashed before my eyes.

_My father sick…_

_"Sorry, Bella. But I can't help you."_

_"It's too dangerous, Bella."_

_"Don't you know how to cure the weak and sickly yourself?"_

_His face was swollen with bumps and scars covering every surface of skin that I could see. His hair was matted with dirt and there was a thick line of blood trailing down his right cheek. His clothes were torn and ragged…_

_My father's body on the floor, pale and empty of his blood…_

_"Welcome to the army…army…army…"_

I screamed, crumbling down to my knees. I clutched my torso as pain ripped through me.

"Daddy…no…Daddy, I'm so sorry…"

"What's with all the ruckus in here?" The voice came from the other side of the room where I was just minutes before and my head shot up and I snarled. I remember that voice. Fury ripped through me uncontrolled and I didn't try to control it. He noticed me in the corner and smiled that sick smile of his and my anger grew.

"I see you've awoken. How are you taking to this new life?"

Without a conscious thought, I was across the room holding him by the throat. His terrified eyes only served to fuel my fury. He wasn't scared when he murdered my father in cold blood.

"What is the meaning of this?!" He shouted as I lifted him higher. I delighted in the cracking of his skin as I squeezed with all my might.

"You killed my father."


	2. Chapter 2

_Anger filled every cell in my body an' boiled over as I looked at the man under my hand. My father, the only family I had left, gone in mere seconds because of some greedy goal. A red tint tainted my vision as I heard the others approach me. My instinct was to protect myself an' get the fuck outta dodge. But I wasn't leavin' until I got my revenge for my father's death. I whipped around an' put the man in a headlock. Before he could move, I touched my teeth to his neck smirkin' when he froze. I kept my gaze on the other threats an' a steady warnin' growl to stay away came out of my throat as the girl tried to drop me usin' her power. She growled back at me an' I felt little pinpricks against whatever it was protectin' me, an' I tightened my hand around the man's neck. _

_"For fuck's sake, stop! Do you not see she has me by the fucking throat?!" _

_They stopped but stayed crouched in defensive positions. When I saw they weren't goin' to move, I stopped growlin' an' just glared. One of the males, the muscled, taller one, started to come closer to me. Was he stupid or somethin'? I started growlin' again, tightenin' my jaw on the man's neck. He let a hiss of pain when my teeth sank in a few millimeters. _

_"What the hell are you doing, Felix?!" The small girl hissed._

_"In case you haven't noticed, Jane," He sneered her name. "She is a newborn on instinct. The loss of her father is somehow still fresh in her mind. I think I speak for the both of us when I say that the pain of losing a relative is beyond painful." He turned to give her a meaningful look. Did they lose their parents too? Or were they tryin' to placate me? When he turned back around, he looked me in the eyes before he got down on his knees an' tilted his neck to the side, his eyes to the ground. What the…?_

_"As I said before, you are new to this life so it is only fair to give you a little leniency. The position that I am in right now is a very vulnerable position for a vampire to be in. It is a position of trust." He said._

_Trust?!_

_I started snarlin' through my teeth as I backed myself an' my captive further into the corner. Trust?! Does he really expect me to believe that shit?! The only person I trust is me an' I don't even know if that's true. I don't know if I can keep my self from attackin' a human. How can I trust him? They took my father from me!_

_"I know I haven't given you reason to trust me." No shit! "But I assure you that nothing will happen to you while I am here. I know the pain of which you are feeling now. People that are close to you are precious, relatives even more. The same happened to me. I lost my mother to the vampire who changed me and so did Jane. But as I got ready to exact my revenge, I thought of my mother and what she would think of me murderin' someone in her name. I heard that your father was very sick, no? Well, I think that he would be happy that his little girl is still alive…somewhat, and not underneath the ground. He wouldn't want you to kill someone just exact revenge on him when he was getting ready to pass anyhow. If I may speak freely, if he was suffering, he is not anymore. I know that Laurent was wrong in takin' you from him and murdering your father and technically killin' you. But we cannot always control the hand that was dealt to us, we just have to deal with the hand we have. Now, I am not saying that he deserves forgiveness. But if you can, forgive him for you, not for him." _

_I backed further into the corner, hesitatin'. He was right. Damn it, why did he have to be right? If I knew my father like I knew I did, he wouldn't want me doin' this. In his words, 'I was already dyin', Bells so what's the big fuss about?' I sighed internally. Killin' would solve nothin', it's true but I couldn't just pretend that nothin' happened even if I did forgive him for my sake. My arm loosened a fraction from around the man's neck an' that's when he took the opportunity to take hold of my hand an' throw me over his head. I flew threw the ceilin', glass fallin' around me as I fell to earth some few yards away. I leapt to my feet and spun to face my enemy, automatically crouchin' defensively. I was surprised at what I saw._

_The vampire who had had bared in neck to me had the other vampire who threw me into the air, by the neck on the ground. He was growlin' somethin' to his face but I couldn't hear it because they other three vampires, the girl, the skinnier one, an' the one-armed one came chargin' at me an' I deepened my crouch, readyin' my muscles to pounce on them an' rip their faces off in case they somehow managed to get through my…shield? As they came closer, I felt a spark in the part of my brain that I had felt pressure in earlier. When they finally got to me, the spark flared an' I let out a gasp as a bright yellow bubble appeared around me. It pulsed like a heartbeat would an' I stared at it in wonder. 'Is this my shield?' I thought. I didn't realize that they had closed in on me until I heard a __**zap!**__ There was a flash of light an' I looked in time to see the other two hit the ground just outside the run-down buildin'. They got up an' I took that opportunity to get out of there, turnin' and runnin' as fast as my legs could carry me. _

_I didn't stop to admire the way the earth felt underneath my feet or to question the ragged branches that were like feathers against my skin. Or even how the sunlight that had weaseled its way through the canopy of the trees, bounced off my skin like a prism and cast out rays of every color. I just kept goin'. After about another five minutes, I came across a cave an' immediately climbed into it. I felt weak and tired an' my throat was on fire. I picked my way to the back of the cave an' settled down, clutchin' my knees to my chest. As with my change, I couldn't decipher the workings of time as it passed by. Days, weeks, months, years could pass an' I wouldn't know it. I vowed to myself that I would never kill an innocent. I would stay here all my life if I had to. I owed it to my father. _

_It was durin' the afternoon one day when I heard voices an' the clatterin' of rocks that Mother Nature decided to test me. At first, I thought it was voices in my head an' I had finally gone crazy. But then a scent wafted in front of my nose an' I growled lowly as my throat flared to an inferno that rivaled that of Hell._

_"Oh, wow! This is the biggest cave that I have ever seen!" One of them said._

_"I agree with you, Tony. This place is freakin' huge!" _

_"Guys, come on! We shouldn't be in here. Ma said not to come up here! People have gone missin' and-"_

_"Andrew, stop bein' such a chicken and get your butt up here!" _

_"No, I am stayin' down here where Ma said to stay. When ya'll get eaten by an angry bear, it won't be my problem." I heard footsteps retreatin' so I knew he left. One less scent to deal with._

_"Aww let him go. He don't know how to have fun. Stick in the mud. Let's go Tristan."_

_"Ahhh!"_

_"No! Tristan!"_

_There was a thud an' then I heard the slicin' of soft skin. The wind was blowin' so I immediately the scent of the sweetest thin' I ever smelled. _

_'No! Stop!' I told myself._

_I dug my hands into the rock behind me an' planted my feet so hard there was a sound like thunder. I held my breath an' squeezed my eyes shut._

_'Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, don't do it…' I repeated this in my head like a mantra. _

_"What was that?"_

_"It came from inside the cave…Tony, I think Andrew was right. We shouldn't be here."_

_"Oh, come on, not you too!" He sighed. "Alright, let's go. You gotta get that cut clean anyway. We'll just tell Ma that you cut on a sharp branch or somethin'." _

_They climbed down, occasionally slippin'. When they got to the bottom, I stayed like I was until the wind blew the smell away. After five minutes, I took a test sniff and then a bigger one. When the smell was gone, I let a sigh of relief. 'Maybe I should move away from here.' I thought. 'If those boys came here, there's no doubt that more will come and explore.' But I couldn't leave until night fell because I didn't want to cross a human's scent. Nighttime was the time when human were asleep so I wait until then. I fell limp across against the wall, my body feelin' exhausted. Hopefully, I could get weak enough that I wouldn't be able to move. Then I wouldn't have to worry any more._

_Night fell and I readied myself to leave this cave an' find somewhere else to rot away. Gettin' on my hands an' knees was an effort in itself, but I managed. I began to make my way toward the mouth of the cave. I was almost there when I froze, listenin' to the sound of heavy pantin'. Thinkin' it was a human, I started to move backwards, holdin' my breath but stopped when I noticed the movements the person made. As a matter of fact, it wasn't even a human. The heartbeat didn't match and when I took a sniff, neither did the scent. It was as good smellin' as a human, but it wasn't human. Curious, I peeked around the jagged edged wall of my little den._

_It was a bear. It stood in the middle of the mouth of the cave, sniffin' an' swingin' its massive its head back an' forth which in turn sent the smell toward me. My hunger flared again. I contemplated what to do. It wasn't human so I guess I could try it and see if it works. If so, then I could stick to an animal diet. I crept out from behind the wall an' crouched low to the floor, waitin' for the right moment. As the bear came closer, I tried to figure out where I would bite him. Durin' my human life, you cut an animals neck, which was where the most blood would come form. So the neck it is. The bear stopped about two feet of me. I knew he would see me because of his eyesight so I stayed still. He turned his back to walk the other way an' that's when I pounced, hunger givin' enough strength to launch myself onto his back. I gripped his fur as he started buckin' like a bronco as he tried to get me off, his growls an' snarls echoin' throughout the cave. Another scent reached my nose an' I realized it made the blood sweeter. I latched onto his neck, moanin' when the blood gushed into my mouth. I swallowed mouthful after mouthful, ecstatic that I had found somethin' else to feed on. I guess I didn't have to whither away after all. The bear's movements got slower an' more sluggish and eventually he slumped to the ground as I drank the rest of what he had to give. Lettin' go, I checked myself over, grinnin' when I didn't find one spot of blood on me. Granted, I didn't have any clothes on bein' that I tore them to shreds when I tried to hold myself back from goin' on a rampage to the nearest town. I stood up, smilin' to myself. I looked to the sky._

_'I did it, Daddy. I did it.' _

After five years, I had gotten into the diet, huntin' regularly, an' ever lettin' myself get too thirsty, gorgin' myself to the brim. At night, I would walk through the towns I came across an' steal the clothes from the clothesline. I didn't stay in one place for very long, leavin' when I got bored of the place. One night, I came across the town I was born in.

_I walked to my house and was surprise to find a stone slab in front of the front door. There were engravings on it._

_**This Memorial is in Lovin' Memory of Sheriff Charlie Swan and his Beloved Daughter, Isabella Swan. You will forever be in our hearts.**_

_Below the engravin' there was an picture of a horse rearin'. I smiled. I bet that was Alice's idea. She knew all about my love for horses. I noticed that there were some writings all over it._

_**I am so sorry, Bella**_

_**We miss you, Bells**_

_**You will always be with us, dear Isabella**_

_I blinked multiple times but then I realized I couldn't cry. I sank to the ground an' sat there for a few minutes, dry-sobbin'. When I was done, I got up an' gently moved the slab aside an' stepped through the door. I walked through the house that used to be my home, the dried blood havin' no effect on me. The rain seemed to have washed away most of the scent, which I was glad about. When I got to the basement, I half expected to find my father's body to still be lyin' on the floor. It wasn't. I guess they buried him in the town's cemetery. I walked slowly through the rooms, brushin' my hands over the various objects. They had taken everythin' from around the house and put them on the shelves in the front room. Wax candles were burnin' so they must have been recently lit. My ridin' boots that my father gave me for my 12__th__ birthday, the white rock that I had given to Daddy when I was 7. He had told me that it was the prettiest thing he ever saw which then led to me bringin' him one every day. The blue one I found in the back of the house, the pink one from Misty's stall, even the solid black one me and Alice had discovered in the bucket from the well. Everythin' was there and I couldn't help but just stand there an' stare. I couldn't be angry no matter how much I wanted to be, I couldn't. Even though they were selfish bastards, when they found out that my father an' I had passed, technically in my case, they still took the time to bury my father and make a memorial of sorts for us. I walked out an' as I passed the front door, I happened to catch my reflection in a partly shattered mirror hangin' on the back of the door. I went closer an' gasped. My whole image had changed. _

_My face looked more beautiful than it was when I was human. My hair was thicker and darker and I could see hints of red and gold in it. The clothes I wore hung on me, not showin' my curves which I glad for. But what really surprised me were my eyes. They weren't red per say but a mix of orange an' red. I was confused at first; why were they that color? I was sure that the others' eyes were red, vivid red at that. Was there somethin' wrong with me? Then it hit me. I was on the animal diet. That's probably the reason for my strange eye color. I wonder what color they're gonna be after a couple more months of animal blood. I looked at my reflection for a couple more seconds before I walked back outside, puttin' the slab of stone exactly where it was in front of the door. Turnin' to leave, I came up with an idea. I walked back an', stoopin' in front of it, I carved a thank you at the very bottom with my finger, big enough for them to see. They would probably think it was my ghost or somethin'. When I was done, I blew the dust away an' stood up. Takin' one last glance, I whirled around and ran, not lookin' back._

Now here I am, ten years later, blissfully happy with my life. I had found an abandoned home in the middle of the woods about a couple of months ago. Don't get me wrong, it was still in good condition. It looked like the family had recently moved out and just left everythin' here. There was a couch in the den area, a walk-in kitchen, an' a workin' bathroom. Not that I needed it but it was nice to stay in one place instead of movin' from place to place all the time. My eyes had lightened to a really pretty gold after all those years on my Veggie diet. Veggie diet, it's funny, right? I came up with it when I stopped by a home in the middle of the night about five years ago. There was a family of six sittin' at a table about to have supper. Two small boys sittin' closest to the window were talking to each other an' I had just finished off a deer when I caught on to their conversation.

"_Paul? What if we didn't eat meat?" _

_And the brother in turn said, "Then I guess we would probably be like rabbits an' eat vegetables." _

_The other brother was quiet for a while. Then he said, "We would be veggies, then?" The brother nodded an' smiled. "Yeah, we'll be veggies."_

I laughed an' decided to take on the nickname. It was perfect for my type of diet. I mean, vampires drink human blood, right? An' they're probably called, I don't know, traditional vampires. So it only makes sense that a vampire that drinks animal blood be called a veggie. I can't take credit, though. The boys helped me with it. Humans are so intelligent. It wasn't so long ago that I was a human and even though we didn't have much taught to us, we kind of figured out things on our own. I couldn't help but think of why vampires would want to kill off a race that is so kind and selfless. Well, most humans. There are some out there that would rather be evil and connivin' and manipulatin' than be happy that they are even alive. I still don't know why they are that way. Maybe they were dealt a hand an' it made them the way they were. But the thing is, it happens to everybody not just one person. I was thrown into somethin' that I had no idea existed an' look where I am now. I know at first I wanted revenge for what happened to my father and me but it if it wasn't for the big vampire, I would have done just that. You see what I mean? He helped me in a time of need even if I didn't know I needed it. There should be of that type of people. People to help those who are need of it. Then it could spread worldwide an' we could all be at peace. But I'm gettin' ahead of myself. There's no way it's goin' to happen so fast. Or even like the way I envision it. That's goin' to take a lot of work. Even if-

There was a tuggin' on my shield that had me sittin' straight up on the flat boulder that I had been sittin' on. I kept it up at all times an' havin' practiced with it from time to time, in the end, I could control at will an' unconsciously. Meanin' even if I don't know it, it's up an' runnin'. But I couldn't have it too big or it would drain me too quickly. I had about a couple of feet away from me just in case somebody is tryin' to get to me or sneakin' up on me. Speakin' of which, I have had that happen a lot durin' my first few years as a vampire. I didn't know how to control my shield at the time an' I would constantly be found. From there a race would ensue as to who would get to me first. As I ran for my life, more vampires would pop up. As if they were waitin' for some kind of signal. I guess that symbol was me runnin' past them as they would just spring from the brush and try to catch me by surprise. Eventually, there would be too many for me to run from an' my instinct to protect myself would kick in. My shield would come out an' bounce them back about two yards away. Then I would start runnin' again. It would already be too late for them to catch up and they would lose me all over again. I learned one time that they had one vampire that had a trackin' ability that could find anybody, anywhere. That's one of the main reasons I kept it up around me at all times. The other was that it was a handy weapon when I was huntin'. It was how I learned to control it. I would abandon my sense of smell and hearin' and focus on usin' my shield to find my prey. Originally, it was hard an' I would get frustrated an' end up havin' a fit which then resulted in scarin' off my meal. I guess it was because I was so young. But as I got older, I learned the principle of patience an' practice. If I just kept at it an' had the will to do it, I found it was easier than wishin' it would work. The product is who I am today.

I got up off the rock and extended my shield just a bit more just to make sure it wasn't a tree or a bird or somethin' like that. That would be just embarrassin'. I focused on it for a little while. Yep, there was definitely somethin' there. But I've never felt somethin' like this. Usually I can verify what it is by closin' on the signature of the person or animal. It's kind of like readin' minds but I don't get thoughts, I get waves sent back to me. Like a bat but more detailed, I get a feel of what it is. This animal was definitely four-legged but it wasn't a deer or a mountain lion, my favorite besides bear. I decided to follow it and started runnin' toward where the waves were comin' from. I came to a stop next to a tiny stream that I had taken a bath in just yesterday. Scannin' the area, I tried sensin' again an' my eyes snapped to the left where a magnificent stallion was lappin' at the edge of the water. Its flawless coat was flat black and its mane an' tail was long and flowin'. The only comparison to this wonderful creature was my own horse Misty who I found had died of some unknown disease. I missed her terribly. I didn't realize I had stepped forward until I heard the snap of a twig an' the horse's ear jerked toward me. It lifted it head an' its eyes immediately fell on me. It seemed to waver on whether or not leave or stay. It didn't sense any danger. Wait. How did I know that? As I stared into the eyes of this gorgeous animal, I couldn't believe my eyes when he started to walk forward through the stream, the water splashin' up and darkenin' the hair on his legs. I was transfixed in the gaze of the stallion as he came to a stop in front of me. He snorted as he looked at me, bringin' his head down to nuzzle my arm. He wanted me to touch him? My eyes pricked with tears that wouldn't fall as I lifted my hand to his neck an' stroked the soft hair there, feelin' the muscle ripple under my hand. I started to dry sob as I remembered that this was what I had done with Misty when I last saw her.

The horse stepped forward again an' nestled his head in-between my neck and my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around him an' snuggled into his warmth. Surprisingly, I felt no thirst in the presence of the horse. If I wanted to do anythin', it was to protect this animal an' make sure he was safe from harm. Then somethin' happened. As I stood there, caressin' his soft coat, I was hit was an image. There was a house in the middle of the woods. It was the very same one that I had found. I knew because I saw the flat rock that I had been sittin' on just minutes before. That was all I saw before my shock kicked in an' I jerked back, eyes wide. The horse looked into my eyes an' I got the feelin' of irritation before he walked forward again an' nuzzled my hand. I looked into the horse's eyes before, albeit hesitantly, I brought my hand back to his neck. Immediately the images were there but this time there were noises as well.

_The sky was cloudy an' a rain shower had just ended. The smell still lingered an' I could see that the sun had already set. The back door to the house opened an' a man that looked to be about his early 20's stepped out. He looked vaguely familiar. I tried to remember but it was like looking through a foggy mirror. He was dressed in cowboy attire, complete with the hat and boots. His eyes were strange, like a brownish-orange. I didn't have time to dwell on that because he began talkin'. _

"_Alright, now. It's time for you to get on outta here." _

_I was confused when I began to feel fear of leavin'. Then I realized I was feelin' the way the horse felt as though I __**was **__the horse. _

_I began to snort an' shake my head in my disapproval. My feet started to paw at the ground._

"_Hey, hey now. Don't worry, Confederate. You'll come back." He said soothingly. Was that horse's name?_

_I stared into the man's eyes as he spoke, hearin' every word but not understandin' why he was sayin' them. Why did I have to leave? How would I find my way back? As if he knew my train of thought, the man began speakin' again._

"_You don't have to stress yourself on how to get back. Just be patient, boy. It'll be all right." He said as he patted my nose affectionately. He shook his head. "He's gonna be pissed that I let you go. But I'll make him see it was for his own good. Besides, it's not like you're not comin' back." _

_He jumped over the fence that I didn't realize was there an' made his way to the gate. They probably tore it down when they left because I didn't see any fence or any indication that a fence was there when I explored the house. He opened the gate an' waved his hand in a grandiose gesture toward the open area, smilin'._

"_Well, come on! Get goin'! The faster you leave, the faster you can get back." He said._

_I began to walk toward the open gate slowly. I stopped just as I got to where the man was standin' an' stared at him. He stared back for a while before he smiled again an' waved toward the trees. With a snort, I trotted out an' went a ways into the brush before I turned around and looked at the man again. He was leanin' against the gate with a piece of hay in his mouth. He tipped his hat in farewell before he turned an' walked back inside the house, the door squeakin' slightly. I contemplated goin' back inside the gate but then I thought about all the uneaten grass an' I ran into the bush, enjoyin' the feel of the wind through my mane. After a while I came to a clearin', where there were all the grass an' weeds I could eat. I was happy an' spent weeks in the clearin'. I spent my nights nestled beneath the trees, listenin' to the sound of crickets an' my own breathin'. It was a while before I got thirsty an' wandered again in search of water. I came upon a stream of fresh water. I could tell by the smell. A snap to my left an' I saw a human._

The images stopped there an' the horse looked at me, pleadin' me with its too intelligent eyes. Then I understood.

"You want me to take you back to your owner? Is that what you want?" I asked. I put my hand an' ran my fingers through his silken mane. He continued to stare, the pleadin' look gone. I smiled.

"You remind me of my Misty, you know that? She always had her way of speakin' to me an' somehow understood what I was sayin' to her. I miss her so much. Do you miss your owner, Confederate?"

The horse's ears perked up at the name an' I laughed. "So that is your name, huh? I thought as much. Well, if you want my help findin' your owner, then who am I to deny a animal in need? Come on."

I stepped around him an' began walkin', leapin' across the small stream and landin' daintily on the other side. I chuckled to myself. If I was human, I probably would have tripped. Not to say I was clumsy. I wasn't clumsy at all. I wouldn't be able to ride a horse if I wasn't well-balanced. It's just that no human has perfect balance. Now that I was a vampire, I discovered I **did **have perfect balance. I tested myself all the time. I stood with one foot on small stones that I found in the woods an' found that I could stay like that for hours on end an' never tire. And where, as a human, the rock probably would have hurt my foot, I noticed that I felt no pain whatsoever. I wondered about that as well. That was until I decided to experiment with that as well. I purposely ran at full speed straight at a huge boulder. As I got closer, I closed my eyes an' braced for impact. But none came. Instead of smashin' my face flat or havin' my face etched into the stone, I went right through it with no resistance. It was then that I found out that I was indestructible. I couldn't imagine anythin' stronger that a fifty ton piece of rock. It didn't cross my mind when I ripped off that guy's arm though it should have. I was ecstatic. I went on a rippin'-and-tearin' spree, destroyin' anythin' that I saw that was in sight. I had so much fun that day. I didn't worry about tearin' down too much. The forest needed thinnin' anyway.

I stopped an' looked back when I realized the horse hadn't joined me. And here I am, lost in my thoughts. I ran back to find on the same as me but he hadn't move an inch. He was actually on the ground on his side, lookin' like he was waitin' for me to notice he hadn't followed.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" I walked to him an' began to check him over. I didn't smell any blood so he wasn't injured. Maybe it was a muscle or somethin'. Or his foot had a splinter an' rock imbedded in it. Misty used to get those a lot. I stopped when he let out a huff of air an' began to heave himself to his feet. Then he stopped. My brow furrowed in confusion. What did he want me to do? He looked at me an' trotted around me, stoppin' in front of me again. I raised my eyebrows.

"You want me to ride you? But I don't have a saddle for you. I won't get hurt but you might." I said. He did the same thin' again, snortin' this time.

"All right, all right. I'm comin." Bein' careful not to hurt him, I put my hands up an', usin' my strength, I jumped up a bit an' then heaved my self up. As I settled onto his back, I clicked my boots gently against his side. He started movin', walkin' at first. Then he began trot an' after that, a full out gallop. I let out a whoop at his speed as he zigzagged through the trees an' leaped over rotten logs. I was laughin' so hard, enjoyin' the way the wind blew through my hair, that I almost missed the scent that wafted past my nose.

"Whoa, whoa boy." I said. He slowed to a stop an' I sniffed at the air. Yeah, there it is. It was a couple of days old but it was there. I sniffed again. Fresh hay, vanilla and…sniff…maple syrup. I giggled. Of all the things to smell like, this person smells like maple syrup. But like all the things that I had gone through, this was no different. I was curious as to who this person was. And evidently, so was Confederate because he kept liftin' his head and sniffin' the air an' pawin' the ground.

"You smell it too, huh?" I looked around, searchin' with my shield to make sure I wasn't bein' watched. "Come on, boy. Let's follow that scent." I said. He seemed to understand because he turned west an' began to ran faster than ever before toward the source.

Peter Pov

I couldn't believe he was this angry at me. I told him that this was for his own good but would he listen? Nope. As always, he does what he wants. He never listens to a word I have to say about anythin'. I'll tell you one thin' though. I have never in my life been thankful for the fact that I could hide my scent like I am right now. I may be a cocky, cryptic fucker at times, but I know when to stay the fuck outta his way when he's pissed an' this in the perfect way to do it. I have been in this tree for a week, hidin' from him. It's actually kind of funny how many times he's run past this tree callin' my name. As if I was really gonna answer him. Right now, he so far from me that I have a little break to feed before I can hightail it back up here. I began to inch my way down when I froze. Someone was comin'. Lookin' down, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Confederate slow to a stop directly below me. And there was a woman on his back, lookin' all nice and comfy on him. I could not believe my eyes and I have really good vision. How in the world did she get Confederate to let her ride him? He wouldn't even let me ride him, much less his owner. As I stared at the woman, I felt my mouth drop open. I blinked my eyes an' opened them again. But there was no mistakin' it. It was the woman from my premonition! She was the reason that I was in this tree to begin with. Well, now that Confederate found her I can get on with my plan. Only now, I have to figure out why she sounded so familiar.

The woman began to sniff. Then stopped an', after about five seconds, sniffed again. Then she giggled. What the hell is so funny? Confederate started to get antsy, pawin' at the ground an' shakin' his head. She bent down an' patted his side.

"You smell it too, huh?" She said, her voice soft. Her voice clicked in my head. I've heard that voice before but that's impossible since I had never met this woman in my life. She looked around and, all of a sudden, there was this hummin' sound an' I looked around, thinkin' that it was a bee or somethin'. Nope, there wasn't a bee. What was it, then? Then I saw it. It was like transparent bubble that stretched around her. What the actual fuck? After a moment, there bubble retracted to her but didn't disappear completely. It stayed around her like a protective…shield? She was a Shield? While she was still lookin' around, she spoke again.

"Come on, boy. Let's follow that scent."

My mouth dropped open a second time as he actually listened! He turned in the direction of west an' began to run in that direction that I realized, after a couple of starin' in amazement at the woman who was able to tame Confederate, that that was the very same direction that Mr. AngryPants went, lookin' for me. I jumped down, landin' on my feet an' sniffed. Oh, yeah. That's definitely his scent. It was old but there wasn't a doubt it was his. I had been around him too long to think otherwise. I leapt back into the trees an' began to follow the sound of hoofs thinkin' that things were about to get interestin'.

I tried the whole Southern accent thing to the max the best way I knew how. I know some of you may ask about the horse but i figured if the horse is from Texas, then it should have a Southern accent as well. I hope you like it! Tell me what you think. Reviews are like Jasper riding a stallion…shirtless.


	3. Chapter 3

Jasper Pov

I cannot believe the nerve of him! How in the hell does he get it into his head to just let my horse go? I swear when I find him, I'll tear him to pieces an' leave him to rot on different points of the earth! Lucky for him he can hide his scent or I would have found him a long time ago. Now, his emotions on the other hand anger the hell outta me. When he found out that I could feel and manipulate emotions, he all but cut me off his emotions completely, only lettin' me feel what he wanted me to. Dagnabbit! Where the fuck is he?! I've been searchin' for a full week and I haven't so much as caught an upturned stone or a footprint on the ground! I kept searchin' until I came to the tree line. I stopped there.

'_It's cloudy today so it should be safe.' _I thought to myself as I checked the sky for complete cloud cover. I pulled my Stetson low over my red eyes as I walked toward a bar just across the way. As I walked the saloon-styled doors, I found a seat in one of the far corners an' sat down to wait for Peter. If I know him like I know I do, he won't last long without his whiskey. And this bein' the only bar for miles around, I'll just have to be patient an' wait. I also had time to think about this prisoner that the Volturi wanted me to capture. Peter and I have been searchin' for a while now and he hasn't gotten any information from his 'knower' yet. But there are times where I would catch him unawares an' his emotions would make me suspicious; joy, happiness, deceit, an' brotherly love. If it wasn't for the deceit then I wouldn't have paid it any mind. He's hidin' somethin', an' I'm gonna find out what.

Bella Pov

As Confederate and I raced through the trees, I kept my senses trained on the mystery scent. It wasn't long before we came to a break in the trees where the scent was the freshest.

"Well boy, it looks like we have a lead. They can't have gone far so why don't we stop to get a drink of water. I'm sure you're thirsty from not gettin'' enough before I showed up. An' I could use I drink or two. Whaddya say?"

Confederate shook his head an' trotted toward the back of the buildin' where there was some loose rope. I gently slid off an' tied him to a nearby tree underneath the shade.

"Okay, you stay an' munch on some grass while I get somethin' to drink, alright?" I said. He looked at me before lowerin' his head an' started munchin' on the grass. Walkin' through the swingin' doors, I paused for just a second inside the doorway as I caught the mystery scent that I had been trackin'. I walked straight up to the bar an' waved the bartender over.

"Excuse me, I was wonderin' if you happened to have a spare bucket that I could use for my horse. We've been travelin' for a while now an' I'm sure he's thirsty." I asked sweetly. The bartender gulped before he reached under the counter an' handed me a fair-sized bucket.

"Here ya go, Miss. You can use the water pump just a ways from here. There should plenty for my horse and for you as well." He said. His heart was beatin' very fast from my presence so I toned it down I bit as I told him, "Oh, the water's actually just for the horse. I'll take some of your best whiskey if you have it, though." I smiled.

"Of c-course. Right away, ma'm." He said an' made his way to the other side of the bar to retrieve my order. I sat at the bar an' turned my focus to the mystery scent. I watched out of my peripheral vision to see him but he was to far out of it that I couldn't see anythin' but complete stillness. That could only mean one thin'. Vampire.

"Are you here for me, stranger?" I said lowly; just enough for the person to hear.

"No." They answered in the same volume. So it was a man. An' a southerner at that with the accent he has. "But I am curious to what brought you here."

I answered, "This and that. I recently came upon a friend an' decided to help him out. After that I am leavin'." She said. "I don't usually stay in one place for long. I like to travel." That was all I was goin' to say for fear it was one of them comin' to take me back to that place.

"So you're a nomad. Seems we have somethin' in common, ma'm. My friend an' I are also nomads. We are currently not on good terms right now but once I find him, I'm sure we'll get everythin' straightened out." He replied. I could sense some anger in his voice so I guess it was a bad situation. He said nothin' after that. At that time the bartender came back with my drink an' I turned and made my way out the door careful not to let him see my face. When I found the well, I got to work fillin' the bucket to the brim with the water. While I was did that, my mind drifted to the stranger that I had matched the scent to. Who was that? He sounded gorgeous but I didn't want to risk him seein' me so I didn't really didn't know what he looked like. He could be a spy or somethin'. There was someone else in there as well but I didn't pick up a scent. I frowned as I poured the water into the bucket an' lowered the pail back down for more. I'm probably bein' paranoid. I've been on the run for so long; they've bound to have someone in my place. I got hit with a memory then of me fillin' this well while I was still human. The pail slipped from my hand when it was over, I was in such a shock. I shook my head as I locked it in my ever spacious memory to deal with later an' made my way back to Confederate to find him on the ground with his face tucked into his side. All the grass was gone from around him. Wow, this horse could really eat! I almost feel bad for his owner. I clicked my tongue to get him up an' placed the bucket in front of him. The sound of two sets of footsteps and voices plus Confederate suddenly losin' it an' knockin' over the pail of water was all I needed to place my shield around me as I waited for whoever rounded that corner.

Jasper Pov

About five minutes of sittin' there waitin' on FuckHead, I caught the most magnificent scent. Wild summer strawberries an' vanilla. Who in the world walks around smellin' like that? I searched the crowd an' my eyes fell upon a brunette that had just walked in. There, in front me, was unadulterated beauty. Her legs were sheathed in a pair of skinny jeans an' she wore dark blue plaid shirt over a white tank top. On her feet were high-heeled boots. Her long brunette hair fell to her ass from under her black Stetson in waves with streaks of gold an' red in it. She paused for a second, smiled an' continued to the bar. Oddly enough, I couldn't feel her emotions. She waved the bartender over an' proceeded to ask him for bucket of water for a horse that she was travelin' with. A woman ridin' a horse? Damn, wouldn't that be somethin' to see! As he handed her the bucket she asked for his best whiskey as well. Well, now I've seen everythin'. A woman who drinks as well as rides? My kind of woman. I wonder if she's taken or just wanderin' like me an' Peter. Speakin' of Peter, there he was in the corner! He smiled at me an' pointed to the woman at the bar, then made a heart with his fingers. I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. What in the hell on God's green earth is he talkin' about? As I opened my mouth to speak she did.

"Are you here for me, stranger?" She said lowly enough for me to hear. Shock overtook me. I looked at Peter an' he had the widest shit-eatin' grin on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him before I answered.

"No." I answered in the same volume. "But I am curious as to what brought you here of all places."

She answered, "This and that. I recently came upon a friend and decided to help him out. After that I am leavin'." She said. Her voice was smooth and husky an' went straight to my nether region. "I don't usually stay in one place for long. I like to travel."

"So you're a nomad." I said. "Seems we have somethin' in common, ma'm. My friend an' I are also nomads. We are currently not on good terms right now but once I find him, I'm sure we'll get everythin' straightened out." I replied, turnin' to glare at Peter. He put his hands up in surrender. I shifted my gaze when I saw her get up an' leave, her face turned to the side, almost as if she didn't want me to see her face.

"Well, Whaddya think?" He asked, his voice level was on a decibel that humans couldn't hear but I could feel all the sunny emotions he was puttin' out. As if he wasn't seconds from a fiery death.

"What do I think? You wanna know what I think? I think you're damn lucky you have all these humans around you or you'd be a pile of ash right now! That's what I think." I said, angrily.

"Hey, no need to be so angry. You'll get him back…eventually."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean, Peter? Do you know how long that horse had been in my family? That horse is my last livin' reminder of my human past an' you just let him go?!"

Before he could answer, the doors swung open again, an' a little slip of a girl walked in. She had spiky jet black hair that was all over the place an' a pixie-like body. Not at all my type. I like women with curves, thank you very much. She looked around an' when she saw me she smiled, makin' her way over to my table. I glanced at Peter as she sat next to me but he was busy glarin' at her. What's his problem? I turned me head to look at her an' shock hit me like a tidal wave. Her golden eyes looked into mine an' all I could do was stare. How in the hell did she do that to her eyes? She must have sensed my curiosity because she started speakin' again, the highness of her voice makin' me want to plug my ears.

"I drink animal blood if you were thinking of asking." She said, smilin'. Her emotions spoke volumes. Pity, impatience, and lust. I shuddered.

"No, I wasn't. But thanks for the company. Now, if you'll excuse me." I said, standin' up from the table an' makin' my way to the entrance, signalin' Peter to follow me. Drinkin' animal blood? Has she completely lost it?! I started sniffin' for the mystery woman's scent an' found it lingerin' alongside the buildin'.

"Don't think this is over, Peter. If Confederate is any state other than I left him in, it's your ashes. An' if I do find him, it's your arm for a month. Your right arm." I finished with a smirk.

"My right?! But I-"

"Yeah, I know." I chuckled darkly.

"You are so cruel, man."

"Your fault." I shrugged. "Should've been doin' you ain't supposed to doin'." I said. He sighed. Just as I rounded the corner, I felt the same set of emotions that I just ran away from. The Pixie was back. I growled in frustration.

"Yes?" I said, barely polite. She was a lady an' if I remembered anythin' from my human life besides Confederate, it was to never disrespect a lady. But boy! Was she pushin' my buttons!

"You didn't give me a chance to introduce myself. My name is Alice Brandon. And you?"

"Jasper Whitlock." I replied, as I looked over her head. She only came up to my chest so it was easy to accomplish.

"Peter Whitlock. Now if you'll excuse us, we have some business to attend to."

"Well, Jasper Whitlock. I'm glad I finally found you. I'm here to help you." She said, completely ignorin' Peter.

Help me?

"Help me with what, exactly?" I said, turnin' to look at her. Peter was grinnin' like a madman again an' I wondered at his sanity.

"Everything!" She squealed.

"Well, that's all dandy an' all, but the Major here don't need no help, Miss Brandon." He said as he folded his arms across his chest. "But if you want to help yourself, you'll skedaddle before the Major launches you into next Sunday."

"Yes, thanks but no thanks." I said as I side-stepped her. I continued walkin', my eyes lookin' left an' right for even a hint of her dark hair. I heard the cloppin' of hoofs an' then a snort.

"Whoa, boy! Calm down. Shhh…it's okay…I'm right here." I heard her voice before I rounded the corner of the buildin' an' what I saw made me stop dead. She was with Confederate. My lost horse. I stood there watchin' as she calmed my horse down. There was a buzzin' sound in the air an' when I noticed it was comin' from her, I tilted my head in confusion.

"Are you doin' that?"

"Who's your friend?" She asked, completely ignorin' my question. She had a frown on her face as her eyes focused on somethin' behind me.

Turnin', I realized that…what was her name? Alice? She was standin' beside me, well more like behind me but when she saw who stood next to Confederate, she snarled an' leapt at her, before I could acknowledge the urge to tear them about for tryin' to attack her, only to bounce back where she landed on her ass. Wait, what the hell was that?

"Alice, is that you?"

"Fuck you, Bella! Yes, it's me." Alice sneered. Her emotions were swirlin' around. Jealousy, determination, an' anger. "What, not happy to see me?"

"Of course I'm happy to see you! I haven't seen you in almost fifteen years!" Bella said, shock written all over her face. "How did you-"

"What? Turn into this? It's all you're fault! John is dead because of you!" Alice shrieked. I winced at the sound an' before she could speak anymore, I knocked her out with pure lethargy. She dropped in a heap on the ground. Bella looked at me, golden eyes wide. Why is it just now that I'm noticin' that?

"What did you do to her?"

"I can feel an' manipulate emotions, darlin'. I just put her to sleep, is all."

"Put her to sleep? But how? Vampires can't sleep."

"Uh-uh." I said, shakin' my head. "You answer my question first. Are you doin' that?" I asked, gesturin' to the air around her.

"What are you talkin' about?"

"You know full well what I'm talkin' about. That buzzin' noise, is that your doin'?" I asked, gettin' frustrated. I don't have time for games right now.

"Buzzin' noise?" she said. She was confused. But again, I couldn't feel it. I could tell by the look on her face.

I stepped forward an' was about to say somethin' when I caught sight of the bubble that was surroundin' her. That must be the buzzin' noise. My anger an' frustration gone, I walked forward, amazed. When I got to it, I stretched my hand out to touch but I was tackled to the side. I flipped mid-air an' landed on my feet, growlin'. Whoever attacked me just seriously pissed me off.

"Major, do not kill me. I have a pretty good reason for doin' what I just did."

Fuckin' Peter! I whipped around, grabbin' him by the neck. Twistin' my body, I slammed him to the ground. "You're already in huge trouble with me for lettin' my horse run loose and wild. What reason could you possibly give me that could calm me down, Peter? And it better be good because I am not in a good mood right now." I snarled.

"Well, obviously you aren't." I sent him some pain and smirked as he grimaced.

"Alright, alright…" He panted when I stopped. "I stopped you because I don't think that you would want to get zapped by my sister. There, I said it. Happy?"

"Zapped? Peter, what in the hell are you talkin' about? And what do you mean, sister?" I asked him.

"He's talkin' about my shield, Jasper. Right, big brother?"

Shield?

"You remember me, Bella?" Peter said. I felt hope and joy come from both of them as she ran forward and embraced him. I would have ripped him off her if it wasn't for the familial love that was flowin' off of him. So that's what all the joy an' happiness was about. Now I only have to deal with the deceit. The sound of footsteps caught my attention and I turned around, my body tensed and ready. I heard the familiar buzzin' that told me that Bella had put up her shield again. Lookin' toward the edge of the trees, I saw three hooded figures appear.

Volturi.

A second later, they were in a wide circle around us an' crouched for attack. One of them lunged toward Peter's sister and before I could respond the urge to tear them about for tryin' to attack her, they bounced off and landed about fifteen feet away. There it is again! That urge to protect her. Why would I want to protect her? She means nothin' to me. If anythin', I should be helpin' them capture her. She is obviously a criminal if the Volturi are after her. My chest ached with pain as I thought it.

**SHE MEANS EVERYTHIN' TO US, YOU FOOL! DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE HER IN DANGER!**

I fell to the ground on my knees in shock. Lookin' over at Peter, I saw the grin again and I knew that he 'knew' what just happened.

**Of course he knew, idiot! At least someone had some sense! Now, get over there and rescue our mate before I do it myself!**

"Well, if you stop shoutin then maybe I can concentrate."

"Major, who are you talkin' to?" Peter asked in mock-concern.

"Don't fuck with me right now, Peter. How in the fuck did you know he would talk to me? He's been locked up for almost a century." I said. I was still in shock. What does this mean?

**It means that if you don't get a fuckin' move on, our mate will be taken from us and I'll be damned if that happens!**

She will not be taken from me. I had wondered why I was so attracted to this woman like moth to a flame. She's my mate, I know that now an' I'm goin. To protect with her with all I've got.

**Good.**

Focusin' on the threats, I sent them the same lethargy that I was sendin' Alice. They all dropped an' I flashed over to stand in front of my mate. Curiously, I passed right through unlike the others. I walked slowly forward an' placed my hand on her face, jerkin' back and hissin' when a shock ran through my hand an' up my arm. Lookin' at her, I saw the same expression of surprise that I'm sure was on my face.

"Did you feel that?"

"Yeah, I did. It was like an electric shock. It still tingles." She answered. She stared at her hand, amazement comin' off her. Wait! I can feel her?

"What are you feelin' right now?" I said, desperate. I had to know if I could really feel her an' that it wasn't just someone else.

"Can't you tell? I mean, you said you could…" She trailed off when I started shakin' my head. "What?" Now it's confusion. I smiled.

"I couldn't feel you before. I can see now that it was your shield that was blockin' your emotions from me. But now, I can feel them for the first time since I saw you. Are you shieldin' now?"

"Um…yes. I am."

"Oh…so…" The cogs turned in my head as I thought about it.

"She shieldin' you instinctively, Major." Peter spoke up. I had completely forgotten about him. "Since you two are mates, it is instinct to protect them, therefore she is shieldin' you from any potential threat, hence you bein' able to feel her emotions." He finished with a smug smile. I narrowed my eyes at him, waitin' for him to wince with pain and smirkin' when he did.

"There is a downside. Well, for you; I can still make you squirm." I smirked. Turnin' to my mate, I took her hand. Kissin' the top of it, I look into her gorgeous honey-gold eyes and say, "I think it's time I formally introduce myself. My name is Jasper Whitlock. An' you?"

She giggled a bit before she answered, "Isabella Swan."

She has Peter's last name before he was turned. Well, soon enough it'll be Whitlock. "A beautiful name for a beautiful woman." I said.

"Are you tryin' to flatter me, Mr. Whitlock?" She said mock-sternly. Her raised eyebrow made me want to kiss her. So that's what I did. I cradled my hand to her face as I leaned forward just shy of touchin' her lips.

"Is it workin'?" I whispered. My voice was husky an' by the way she shivered, she liked it. But she didn't let me win that easily.

"Maybe. But you're gonna have to try harder than that." Her lips brushed against mine with every word she spoke an' I growled lightly. Grabbin' her by the waist, I pulled her closer with one hand an' with the other, released hers an' brought it to her face. I moved a lock of her hair out of her face and spoke.

"I can deal with that."

I closed the space an' swallowed her gasp as another electric shock flowed through us. I swept my tongue along her lip an' groaned as she opened an' I tasted her. She tasted exactly as she smelled. It was drivin' me crazy! We broke away after a solid minute, hearin' footsteps.

"Vell, isn't zis nice." A deep male voice said, followed by slow clappin'.

I growled at the sound of an unknown male so close to my unmarked mate. Not a good combination an' by the "Oh, shit!" that came from Peter, shit was about to hit the fan. Turnin' around, I pushed Isabella behind me an' at the same time, heard the now familiar buzzin' of her shield. When I noticed them, I saw an' felt that they didn't see the shield that my mate was projectin' out to protect us. Smirkin', I stood from my attack crouch and stood military style; hands behind my back an' chin raised. They won't know what hit them. But what I didn't expect was the fury and pain that shot through me from Isabella. I dropped to my knees for the second time that day as I watched Isabella run toward the male.

"You!" My mate screamed as she lunged forward.

Tell me what you think? Who do you think it is? I don't mind constructive criticism, so go right ahead! Review, review, review!


	4. Chapter 4

I am so sorry about the last chapter. I had made a mistake and added it to the wrong story...Thank you so much SkylerBlack for your criticism, i really appreciate it! oxoxoxoxox


	5. Chapter 5

**Bella Pov**

Being a vampire for fifteen years, I knew that I had to expect the unexpected. But it did not prepare me for the vampire that stood not ten feet from me, smellin' like worn leather pine, an' cinnamon. He wore a red plaid shirt with jeans hung on his hips. The thing that really did me over was the black Stetson that sat on his gold curls. They hung to his chin an' looked so damn soft. My fingers twitched as they yearned to run through them. He was with another male an' a female that looked very familiar. I saw Mr. Stetson put his head to the side.

"Are you doin' that?"

On the one hand', I knew that voice. It was the same vampire that spoke to me inside. _'What is he doing back here?'_ I thought. Now that's out of the way…cue shiver of desire, tremble of lust, shudder of longing, whatever you want to call it! This vampire's voice was the bee's knees! But I had to act like I didn't care, no matter how hard it is. He might be a spy.

"Who's your friend?" I asked, feelin' horrible inside for brushin' him aside like that. I did have a reason though. The short, pixie-like female was glarin' daggers at me. Where did I remember her from? I scanned my murky human memories an' mentally slapped my forehead when I got it. It's Alice! I bet she's mad at me because I didn't recognize her right away. I'll have to ask her how she got turned, though. Making my face really confused with just a hit of recognition, I got ready to ask the most obvious question. I was not expectin' her to attack however. She growled an' leapt at me an' on instinct I thickened my shield. Yeah, forgot to tell you that, huh? Well, now you know! Anyway, Alice flew back like that rock I practiced on. Except, she didn't crash into a tree, she landed on her ass. That was when I decided to ask my question.

"Alice, is that you?"

"Fuck you, Bella! Yes, it's me." she sneered. I was shocked; what did I do to make her so mad? "What? Not happy to see me?"

"Of course I'm happy to see you! I haven't seen you in almost fifteen years!" I said. "How did you-"

"What, turn into this? It's all you're fault! John is dead because of you!" Alice shrieked. I saw Mr. Stetson wince at the sound. It hurt for me to see him in pain. Why? This is a lot of questions I'm askin' myself right now. Before I could respond, Alice slumped to the ground with a _thump!_ I looked at Mr. Stetson, noticin' for the first time his bright red eyes. Why is it just now that I'm noticin' that?

"What did you do to her?" I asked. What? I worried about Alice even though she tried to attack me. She's my best friend. I still care about her.

"I can feel an' manipulate emotions, darlin'. I just put her to sleep." Mr. Stetson drawled. Yum!

"Put her to sleep but how? Vampires can't sleep." I asked. I was surprised that my voice was steady when my insides were anything but.

"Uh-uh." He said, curls movin' as he shook his head no. "You answer my question first. Are you doin' that?"

"What are you talkin' about?"

"You know full well what I'm talkin' about."

Ooooo…angry voice! Me likey!

"That buzzin' noise, is that your doin'?" he snapped.

"Buzzin' noise?" I said. Now, I think he's lost it. That's okay, through. His sexiness covers it.

He stepped forward an' I tensed slightly. He stopped an' I giggled at the look on his face. I guess he caught sight of my shield. It's okay, buddy. I was stuck for about a half an hour when I saw it, too. He started comin' towards me again but this time, I just stood there. He had this awestruck look on his face as he stretched his hand' out to touch it except, he was tackled to the side an' didn't get anywhere. He flipped before he hit the ground an' landed lightly on his feet, growlin' the type of growl that would get me to do anything he told me to.

"Major, do not kill me. I have a pretty good reason for doin' what I just did."

That voice! It's another one that I recognize. But it's buried so far done in my human memories that I have concentrate. Meanwhile, I heard a thunder as Major, as I know him now, slam the other male into the ground.

"You're already in huge trouble with me for lettin' my horse run loose an' wild." He said. Confederate lifted his head an' whinnied. Major didn't seem to hear it seein' that he was in the male's face.

"What reason could you possibly give me that could calm me down, Peter? An' it better be good because I am not in a good mood right now."

_'Did he say Peter?! It can't be my brother, Peter Swan, who was in the Civil War, can it?' _I thought.

"Well, obviously you aren't." When Peter grimaced, I looked around for the source of his pain an' found none. After a while, Peter relaxed slightly enough to speak.

"I stopped you because I don't think that you would want to get zapped by my sister. There, I said it. Happy?"

Wait, sister?

"Zapped? Peter, what in the hell are you talkin' about? An' what do you mean, sister?" I asked him. That's when it hit me, the memory of Peter leaving for war just before Father had gotten sick. I decided to answer for him.

"He's talkin' about my shield, Jasper. Am I right, big brother?"

"You remember me, Bella?" Peter said. I said nothin' as I ran into my brother's arms, buryin' my face into his neck. He still smelled the same, like cherries. Every time I saw him, he always had a cherry stem in his mouth. Joy came from me as my brother held me as I realized I was no longer alone. Granted, I was fine by myself but it wasn't until now that I knew that I was kinda lonely an' sooner or later the horse wasn't gonna be with me. The sound growlin' drifted toward my ears an' I tensed, automatically puttin' up my shield. That didn't stop my brother from tryin' to put me behind him. I gave him the look from our childhood that said 'Don't even try it'. He conceded pretty quickly. Turning toward the threat, I couldn't help but smirk.

The Volturi.

I reinforced my shield just before the pounced, laughin' internally as they landed about fifteen feet away.

_'This is like déjà vu.' _I thought.

I crouched to attack when I noticed Major on the ground. I started to come forward but stopped when Peter started talkin'. It was almost like I didn't consciously do it, like it was instinctual. Weird, why would I do that?

"Well, if you stop shoutin' then maybe I can concentrate." Jasper grumbled makin' me confused because I didn't hear anybody talk.

"Major, who are you talkin' to?" Peter asked.

"Don't fuck with me right now, Peter. How in the fuck did you know he would talk to me? He's been locked up for almost a century." I said. I was still in shock. What does this mean?

Who's He? Locked up?

As I tried to figure out what was goin' on, I saw Major get up and stare down the Volturi. Less than a second later, they all dropped like flies. In the next second, he was standin' in front of me an' I wondered how he had gotten through my shield so easily. He walked forward slowly (a little too slowly if you ask me) an' placed his hand' on my face. Before I could get the chance to enjoy his slightly calloused hand on my face, a shock ran through my face at the same time that he jerked back, hissin'. My hand tingled and when I raised my hand up, I could still feel it.

"Did you feel that?" he breathed.

"Yeah, I did. It was like an electric shock. It still tingles." I answered, still starin' at my hand.

"What are you feelin' right now?" he said. His voice took on another octave an' when I looked up, he had this slightly crazed look on his face.

"Can't you tell? I mean, you said you could…" I stopped when he started shakin' my head. "What?"

He smiled, blindin' me for a second. "I couldn't feel you before. I can see now that it was your shield that was blockin' your emotions from me. But now, I can feel them for the first time since I saw you. Are you shieldin' now?"

"Um…yes. I am." I said, wonderin' where was goin' with this.

"Oh…so…"

"She shieldin' you instinctively, Major." Peter spoke up. "Since you two are mates, it is instinct to protect them, therefore she is shieldin' you from any potential threat, hence you bein' able to feel her emotions." he finished with a smile that I was startin' to remember a smile he wore when he knew he was right. Cocky bastard. I smirked when he winced as Major stared at him. That's what you get. Wait, mate?

"There is a downside. Well, for you; I can still make you squirm." he said. He turned to face me again and took my hand. I delighted in the soft buzz that vibrated through my fingers. When he kissed the top of my hand, I almost lost it. His lips are so soft! As he looked into my eyes, I couldn't find it in myself to look away. Not that I wanted to in the first place.

"I think it's time I formally introduce myself. My name is Jasper Whitlock. An' you?"

I surprised myself when I giggled. "Isabella Swan."

"That is such a beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

"Are you tryin' to flatter me, Mr. Whitlock?" I said, one eyebrow raised. His eyes darkened to deep burgundy as he cradled his hand to my face. He lend forward just shy of an' stopped, just touchin' my lips.

"Is it workin'?" he whispered. His voice made me a pile of goop an' I felt my own eyes darken as well as desire rolled through me. I shivered an' melted further when I saw him smirk a little. I will forever be a sucker for that. But I am a southern woman an' I will not go down without a fight. So long as that fight ends up with him shirtless, of course.

"Maybe it is. But you're gonna have to try harder than that."

My lips brushed against his with every word I spoke an' he growled, the tremor makin' my non-existent breathin' pick up. His hands pulled me closer to him by my waist. He let go of my hand an' lifted it to my face, brushin' a lock of hair out of it. When he spoke, his breathe fanned over my face an' if he wasn't holdin' me up, I most likely would have fallen.

"I can deal with that."

He closed the space and pressed his lips to mine. I gasped when another shock ran through me but it wasn't heard as Major swept his tongue along my bottom lip. I opened willingly and wound my hand into his hair when I tasted him. I had forgotten what maple syrup tasted like an' as we kissed, I remember stickin' my finger in the jar when Father wasn't lookin'.

"Well, isn't this nice." A deep male voice said, followed by slow clappin'.

I growled at the same time that Jasper did, not likin' the interruption. I spread my shield to my brother just as he said, "Oh, shit!"

Jasper put his arm out an' pulled me behind him. He was growlin' so deep in his chest that I had no doubt that his eyes were black in anger. I could feel that anger and possessiveness swirling around us inside my shield. Suddenly, he stood an' placed his hands behind his back with his chin raised. That was when I decided to peek around his shoulder to see who it was an' then it was my turn to growl deeply. A memory came to the forefront as I took in the slicked-back ponytail an' the casual stance of the vampire, as if an angry, possessive, dominant male did nothing to him. I took in his eyes as my emotions got the best of me. I barely noticed when Jasper dropped to his knees. All I saw were the red eyes of the man who took part in my Father's death, the man that put me in that basement where I had watched my Father die.

John.

My muscles bounced and then let go in a millisecond as I launched across the short distance, hands outstretched.

"You! I'll kill you!" I screamed.

I heard Peter shout my name before a body collided with mine with such force we careened through the tree line. My attacker managed to get the upper hand and forced my back against a tree, clutching my neck. I opened my eyes to see Alice, snarlin' and drippin' venom as glared at me through black eyes.

"You bitch!" she hissed. "I just told you that John had died and you're going to attack him?!"

"How the fuck was I supposed to he was a fuckin' vampire, Alice! You failed to make that statement, don't you think?" I snapped. She squeezed my neck an' I pushed my shield outward, fallin' to the ground when she flew into another tree. As I got up, she found her openin' an' attacked again. She grabbed my arm and sank her teeth into the flesh just below the shoulder. Pain shot up my arm as we collapsed to the forest floor, dirt and leaves flying scatterin' around us. I rolled her onto her back an' reached behind me, grabbin' her jaw. I then tried to pry it open enough to pull my arm free. The result was my hand slippin' on all the venom from her mouth and her teeth bitin' further into my skin.

_'All right, bitch. You don't want to let go? Fine. We'll just do this the hard way.' _I thought darkly.

Concentratin' hard, I pushed my shield from my mind and encased my fist in it. I saw Jasper run in an' stop where he was, Peter next to him before I pulled my hand back an' proceeded to punch her in the face with it. The first two blows, her hands tensed on my arm. The fifth time, she started groanin' in pain an' her jaw loosened a little. The seventh time I aimed for her nose, satisfied with the crack as a piece broke of an' fell off. Her arms let go, and her jaw opened to let out a ragged scream as she clutched her face. I heaved myself to my knees and scooted away from her, sparks of pain shootin' up my arm. A pair of strong arms lifted me bridal style at the same time a wave of calm and lethargy came over me. I looked up to see my favorite pair of red eyes looking at me, pride and concern in their depths.

As Jasper ran away with me, I managed to see to turn around an' see Peter tearin' Alice to pieces. Sighin sadly, I snuggled into Jasper's chest as his calmin' waves soothed me to a near sleep.

**Peter Pov**

I watched as the little twit that Jasper knocked out earlier attack my sister. I heard a crash and started forward to help her but Bigbrawnynobrain decided to get in my way.

"Look, I don't know you but if you don't get the fuck outta my way, I will not hesitate to rip you to pieces." I snarled. Jasper backed me with a deep growl of his own.

"Oh, is she special to you? A mate perhaps?" he said.

"It would be in your best interest to keep my sister's name from your vocabulary before somethin' really bad happens to you." I said warnin'ly.

"She is your sister?" he asked. "She didn't mention that when I locked her in the basement."

I got a twinge in my chest just before my vision went red an' I jumped at the fucker. Pinnin' him to the ground was no problem since he couldn't fight to save his own skin. Jasper came an' stood over me. I could feel the calm he was projectin' toward me. I could also the submissiveness and truthful feelin's that he was sendin' the other fucker an' if it wasn't for the years I had spent with him, I would have spilled my deepest, darkest secrets.

"You wanna repeat that?" I snarled, still angry.

"No." he smirked.

I was just about to punch the fuck outta him when Jasper spoke. "Stand down, Peter."

I looked up at him, shocked but changed tactics quickly when I saw the internal battle he was havin'; his eyes kept flickerin' from red to black as he tried to keep Major back. I wasn't about to have a limb ripped off so I backed off an' stood to the side. Jasper stepped forward, his posture changin' as he did.

"Do you know who I am, boy?"

"No, should I?" he sneered. I scoffed; wrong move. Apparently, the emotions weren't workin' so I decided to help out.

"Uh, yeah you should. You are standin' in the presence of Major Jasper Whitlock, most feared vampire on the planet. Be very afraid." I smirked.

"I don't recall me tellin' you to speak, Captain." I heard him say behind me just before I felt the pain he sent me. Fuck, the Major won him over. I bowed my head and tried to be as submissive as possible. Jasper wasn't here anymore and this fucker was about to experience firsthand the wrath of a vengeful vampire.

One minute later, Major had gotten the information he needed an' I got retribution on the man who had a hand in my Father's death. I was throwin' the last small piece of dead vampire into the flames when I my chest twitched just a bit. At first, I thought it was Charlotte an' I was about to turn around an' run home when I heard a growl from beside me.

"Sir?" I asked.

"It's Isabella. She's in pain."

He started runnin' an' I did somethin' that I probably was goin' to regret but it was for my sister's an' his own good; I jumped an' tackled him. What happened was exactly what I expected; he roared, spinnin' around at lightnin' speed. He threw me into the ground with his knee in my back an' I hissed as teeth sank into the top of my shoulder. Since he was my sire, the venom didn't cause me agony but it still stung like a bitch.

"Major, I really think that you should let Jasper have this one." I said, wincin' when he tensed his jaw causin' his razor-sharp teeth sink in further. He let go of my shoulder but kept me on the ground. I didn't even try to struggle even my instincts were beggin' me to.

"An' why is that, Captain?"

"First, Sir, I don't think you bargin' in all Majored up will go over well with my sister. She hasn't met you yet so I think you should let Jasper take over an', with no disrespect, wait your turn."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Major."

"Very well, Captain. Since she is your little sister, I will listen to your advice. Now, let's go get my mate."

When we got there, I stopped him from jumpin' the bitch that had attacked my sister. I had to say that I was a little afraid of what else she could do with that shield of hers. Right now, she had the blue bubble wrapped around her fist as she pummeled it into the pixie's face. On the last blow, she punched her straight in the nose an' I snickered as a piece fell off. But what really made me lose it was when I saw the cracks on my sister's neck an' the bite mark on her shoulder. The second Jasper got to her I set to work tearin' the bitch apart and burnin' the pieces, growlin' the whole while. Nobody fucks with my sister. I left her once an' I will not leave her unprotected again.

Spreadin the ashes, I sped back to where Bella had left Confederate tied to the tree. When he saw me he lifted his head, his ears standin' straight up. That was when the owner of the bar-I assume he was since he was the only one that worked there-came out with a shotgun. I turned quickly toward the horse, by back to the man. Usin' vampire speed, I reached into my pocket an' pulled out the tiny case of brown contacts that I 'knew' I would need an' put them in. All of this, of course, happened before he took one step.

"Now, I won't have to this if you cooperate, son." He said. His shook slightly as aimed the barrel of the gun at me.

Did he just call me son? I growled at the pain of the name I spun around and glared at him. "Don't call me that, hu-"

I stopped before 'human' could come out.

"What did you say?" The man said, squinting ay me suspiciously.

"I said don't call me that. That name is reserved for my father who is now dead." I gritted. Flashes of my Father's face when I left burned in front of my eyes; the last memory that had of him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know. I just wanted the money for the whiskey an' since I saw her huggin' her, it made since that you knew her."

"So you point a gun at me?"

"Well, I didn't know if you try to run off or try to attack. These days you need protection."

I smirked. _'If I wanted to attack you, you'd already be dead.'_

"I know exactly what you mean. An' I'm sorry about my sister, she must have forgotten." I dug into my pockets an' pulled out my wallet. Pullin' out some cash, I handed it to him. I didn't worry about the amount; judgin' by the state of the place, the whiskey didn't cost too much.

He came forward an' took the money out of my hand. He looked at it an' his eyes widened. "Boy, this is too much."

I waved him off. It's not like I needed it. "It's alright. Consider it a thank-you for not shootin' me."

Noddin', the man turned around an' went back inside. As soon as the door closed, I felt a nudge on my shoulder an' looked up to see Confederate's black eyes starin' into mine. I raised my hand to his muzzle, strokin' the short hairs there.

"So, I know I'm not supposed to ask this because it's no doubt a stupid question but can I ride you home?"

What Confederate did surprised me more than anythin'. After starin' at me long an' hard, he huffed an' turned to the side. I stared open-mouthed for about fifteen seconds before I climbed up on top of him. I hadn't been on a horse since I was human so I was kind of rusty. There were no reins since they were in the shed where Confederate pen was so I had to ride bareback.

_'This should be no problem at all.'_ I thought.

As we ran through the forest, I wasn't surprised that I could smell Jasper an' my sister or the fact that Confederate seemed to know where he was goin' without my help. We stopped by a river so the he could get a drink an' as I waited, the breeze blew by an' I could smell Bella's scent on the air. I closed my eyes, rememberin' how she smelled when I hugged for the first time in almost fifteen years; orange blossoms an' wildflowers. She used to play in the tiny meadow that my mother had made for her before she passed away. She had stayed there all day, rollin' around an' playin in it. Sometimes, we sat an' talked about how our lives would be when we grew up. I remember when I was 16, I told her that when I was old enough, I was goin' to leave an' do somethin' with my life.

The look on her face when I said it brings me to tears even now. She looked so heartbroken that I almost changed my mind but I knew then that if I left, I would be helpin' my Pa keep food on the table. What I didn't know was that I wasn't goin' to see my family again. From the time I woke up from that table, my life was hell on earth. When I got news from Jasper that he had requested that I leave with him to help find a fugitive that had gotten away, I was ecstatic but also worried. I had been getting' so many glitches of my past from since I left that I barely had times to hide my emotions from Jasper. Now that I found my sister, I just have to find a way to tell him that she's the one the Volturi is lookin' for.

**If there is anything missing, please tell me so that i can fix it! Reviews are like sugar cookies! oxoxox**


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